THE COLLEGES : Track Roundup : UCI Runners Qualify for NCAA Track Meet

Three UC Irvine athletes met qualifying standards for the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. track-and-field championships at the Santa Monica Distance Festival at Santa Monica College Friday.

Judy McLaughlin, who qualified for the NCAA 1,500 meters last month, placed fourth in the women’s 3,000 meters in 9 minutes 20.87 seconds, a career best by four seconds. The NCAA standard is 9:22.24.

Jill Harrington, an NCAA finalist last year in the 1,500, also qualified in the 3,000, placing fifth in 9:21.01.

Richard Graves, a 1987 NCAA semifinalist in the 5,000, finished fourth in that event in 13:55.5, meeting the NCAA standard of 13:57.

In the women’s 800 meters, Anteater Buffy Rabbitt placed third in 2:09.

Irvine has now qualified six athletes for seven NCAA events. The others are Rabbitt (women’s 1,500), Gus Quinonez (men’s 10,000) and Beth McGrann (women’s 10,000).

In the Point Loma Nazarene Invitational Decathlon:

Scott Daniels, an unattached athlete from Irvine, and Matt Farmer of UC Irvine were second and fourth after the first day in San Diego.

Daniels had 3,996 points, Farmer 3,677. Tony Allen-Cooksey of San Diego led with 4,024.